Class Is Still in Session The National University of Singapore (NUS) and one-north don’t usually function as meeting venues — conferences in Singapore most often take place at meeting-specific facilities like Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre (reopening next month after an extensive renovation), Singapore Expo, or the convention centers located in the Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands properties.


“It is not typical to hold events at NUS,” said George Loh, director of Singapore’s National Research Foundation, “but this worked because it was an initiative aligned with education goals and made sense, given NUS’s partnership with other institutions.”


Classes continued (with some relocated) and normal work forged ahead at all of NUS’s labs throughout GYSS. Although something of an inconvenience to the university’s business, part of the date selection had to do with the attending students’ — and scientists’ — schedules. Most of the speakers are professors themselves, Loh said, so it made sense to schedule the conference during a time when it was easy for them to travel.


of the Singapore government’s foremost missions. In Tan’s vision, GYSS not only would inspire the next generation of scientists to build and foster a global research network, but also would create something of a talent pipeline for local institutions in Singapore. “Singapore makes an intentional effort in developing R&D talent and fostering research that will go out into the com- mon space,” said George Loh, the NRF’s director. “We wanted to attract foreign researchers and eminent scientists who would give talks to students and at meetings here, helping to create a vibrant R&D hub.” Part of this development centers on use-inspired research to address major global challenges. To that end, a portion of the GYSS program was dedicated to the Singapore Chal- lenge, wherein attendees were invited to submit white papers describing their research on a proposed solution to solve an identified challenge for future cities. An initial panel of judges selected 10 finalists to present their ideas to a second panel of judges and GYSS participants during the closing ceremony. Lynette Cheah, a research scientist at A*STAR’s Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences, was awarded the Singa- pore Challenge Medallion as well as a cash prize of $100,000 U.S. to continue her research on building a transportation system that would inform commuters in real-time of the best routes to take during times of heavy traffic and provide feed- back for other methods of transportation — like buses and taxis — to respond to the needs of travelers. GYSS closed with a speech from Tan. Reiterating the


NRF’s desire for Singapore to be known as a place for research, innovation, and enterprise, the president urged the scientists in attendance “to maintain the links that you have established over the last five days and keep up the dialogue and exchanges beyond the GYSS. It is good for science and good for society when researchers build networks and col- laborate openly to translate research outcomes to build a better world.”


. Katie Kervin is an assistant editor of Convene. +


ON THE WEB For more information on GYSS, visit gyss-one-north.sg.


80 PCMA CONVENE APRIL 2013


PCMA.ORG


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